


Happy Birthday El

by mediocremaestro



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Crimson Flower, El is confused and suspicious, Established Relationship, F/F, Happy birthday Edelgard, Post-Time Skip, Surprise Party, The eagles are terrible liars, idk what else to tag, it ends happy dw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24856819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mediocremaestro/pseuds/mediocremaestro
Summary: In the days leading up to her birthday, Edelgard realizes she has barely seen her fiancee Byleth, and that all of her friends are acting strange. She begins to worry (briefly) about her relationship before finding the meaning behind the Eagles and their suspicious behavior and what exactly has Byleth so busy.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Kudos: 60





	Happy Birthday El

**Author's Note:**

> Before anything I have to credit [Angerykacchan's](https://twitter.com/angerykacchan/status/1274721619404038144?s=12) incredible art for planting the idea for this in my head. I combined it with a dash of a headcanon of mine and many hours later *chef's kiss* here it is!
> 
> My writing skill is more on the under-developed side, but I gave it the old college try and that has to count for something, right?
> 
> That being said, I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

-18th of Garland Moon, 1186-

To say that Edelgard completely understood her fiancee would be an understatement. The woman continues to be a mystery even after proposing in the days following the war. But over the past few weeks, her dear teacher had even more baffling, running around as though her life depended on it. It reminded Edelgard of when she would see her sprinting around the monastery helping any and everyone. As busy as the professor had been doing whatever she was doing, Edelgard had been so tenfold, what with being the ruler of a unified Fodlan. But even then, that didn’t stop her wondering what Byleth was up too. A sigh escapes her lips.

“What’s the matter Edie? Your whirlwind romance not living up to your expectations?” Dorothea teased as she brought her teacup to her lips.

“I am confused.” Petra’s gaze shifts from the songstress to the emperor. “Has something happened to the professor, Edelgard?” 

Edelgard attempts to conceal her annoyance. She should have known when Dorothea suggested she take a tea break with herself and Petra that she would find some way to work her love life into the conversation. She rolls her eyes and addresses the Brigid princess.

“Nothing has happened to the professor. Dorothea,” She pointedly glares at her other tea companion, “is under the notion that something is amiss, when in reality everything is going wonderfully.” She stabs the tart on her plate with more force than necessary. 

Dorothea reaches to take her own sweet from the tray, brows arching. “You don’t think she is acting at all strange as of late?” 

“Even if I did, it’s nothing more puzzling than she normally is.” The emperor looks over her teacup. “I find her more enigmatic tendencies rather charming actually.”

“That is a relief.” Petra sighs. “I was talking with her the other day about you. It would be a shame if something would happen befo-” Dorothea claps her hand over Petra’s mouth. Edelgard stares at them in confusion.

“Before you two got married!” The songstress interrupts. “Right, Petra?” Realization crosses the princess’s expression as she removes her hand, nodding in agreement.

“M-married?” Edelgard stammers, a blush crawling up her face.

“I, for one, cannot wait for your big day.” Dorothea stares out from the balcony to the garden below, watching the sun dip below the horizon and catching a glimpse of teal and gray. “Well look at the time, as much as we would love to stay and chat longer, I have a feeling your shadow is going to be here to fetch you any minute.” She moves to stand, wrapping her arm around the princess. 

As she watches her friends depart, Edelgard can’t help but wonder what Petra was going to say before Dorothea cut her off, but for now, the more pressing matter is the stack of paperwork this tea had distracted her from.

-19th of Garland Moon, 1186-

Edelgard had found that for the third day in a row, her dear love had disappeared in the early morning with a quick kiss this time citing that she had promised to perform a brawling demonstration for Caspar’s battalion. The emperor did not think much of it as she was expected to spend the day going over council appointments with Ferdinand and Hubert. The task proved to be as dull as she had thought it would be, her quill absentmindedly drawing shapes in the margins of her notes, mind drifting back to Byleth. Ever since the older woman’s hair returned to its original color, Edelgard noticed that she had become much more expressive. Except for this morning, where her face was almost as unreadable as the day they met. 

“-hat are your thoughts on my proposal for the Minister of Internal Affairs, Edelgard?” Her lilac eyes snap up from her papers to find Ferdinand and Hubert staring at her.

“Huh?” Is all she manages to get out.

“Are you alright, your majesty?” Hubert moves to stand at her side, reaching to feel her forehead. “Shall I call for a doctor?” 

She waves his hand away. “I am fine.” She clears her throat. “It’s nothing I can’t manage. Now then, Prime Minister,” She watches how her ginger-haired friend’s eyes light up as she addresses him and how Hubert pinches the bridge of his nose. “Would you please reiterate your thoughts regarding the candidate for Internal Affairs minister?” 

Ferdinand, now beaming. “Of course your majesty! As I was saying…” 

Edelgard makes an effort to pay attention this time and the rest of the meeting goes off without a hitch. With the preliminary list of candidates narrowed down significantly, Edelgard leaves in a better mood than she entered with. It does not, however, stop her vassal from pulling her aside gently as she makes her way to her office. 

“If I may, your majesty?” The tall, dark-haired man bows as he speaks. “You seem to be a bit distracted as of late. ”

“If you must know, I am having trouble sleeping again.” She lies, stoicism masking her expression. “It is not any less than what I was getting during the war, so it is nothing I cannot deal with.”

“I understand, my lady.” He bows again. “I had thought that it perhaps had to do with your bir-.” 

“What an excellent meeting today!" Ferdinand appears out of nowhere, cutting the brooding man off. "I believe that we shall have the rest of the council decisions in no time!” His smile nearly blinds the two of them. “Edelgard, may I borrow Marquis Vestra for a moment, there are some things I need to speak with him about.” She is stunned as Ferdinand drags a protesting Hubert away down the hall. 

First Byleth, then Dorothea and Petra and now Hubert and Ferdinand. What is going on with her friends?

-20th of Garland Moon, 1186-

Edelgard awakens as the sun rises. Her arms drift to wrap around her love, only to grab air. She wonders what Byleth has been up to these past weeks and begins to rack her brain for an answer. Had she said something to upset the former mercenary? Her grip tightens on the sheets. Is she having second thoughts? Edelgard shakes her head, that can’t be it, can it? A curt knock pulls her from her ruminations.

“Your Majesty?” A maid calls in. “General von Bergliez and Viscount von Hevring are in the main foyer.” 

Edelgard clears her throat. “Have them escorted to the library and tell them I shall be down soon.” 

“Yes, your majesty.” The maid’s shoes echo down the hallway. 

She promised Linhardt access to the royal library, allowing him to take anything to help in his research, whatever it was at the current moment. She sighs as she pulls herself from her bed and rubs the sleep from her eyes. After she is dressed, she heads down to greet her guests. She can already hear Caspar’s boisterous shouting. 

“Come on Lin! Edelgard will be here any minute, wake up!” She walks in to find the loud man shaking his oldest friend. Caspar quickly turns to bow to Edelgard before smacking the green-haired scholar. “See I told you!”

“It’s no bother.” She stifles a quick giggle with her hand. The joviality of the pair’s friendship never ceases to bring a smile to her face.

Linhardt lifts his head from his arms. “I’m awake, I’m just resting my eyes.” He stands and limply bows. “I appreciate you allowing me into the archives, Edelgard.” He yawns. “Truly.”

“Yeah Lin here has been sleeping non-stop in order to get as much time as he can in there!” Caspar nudges his elbow into his friend’s side. “He was basically deadweight when we went into Enbarr wit-Ow hey!” It was Linhardt’s turn to elbow his friend.

“Don’t mind him, he sustained a concussion yesterday.” His tone sounds sincere, but Edelgard notices how he doesn’t meet her eyes. 

“Oh yeah, you should have seen it! Professor knocked me flat on my ass!” Caspar lets out a full belly laugh. “My fault for thinking she went soft with how busy she’s-OW!” He rubs his side. “Stop that Lin! Your elbows are so pointy!”

Edelgard stares at the friends, expression shifting from confusion to anger and then hurt. The Black Eagles are acting suspicious and she needs to get to the bottom of it. She can’t exactly go back on her promise to Linhardt, so she gives him a tour of the archives and by the time they are finished, it is already evening. 

-21st of Garland Moon, 1186-

Edelgard had managed to wake up before Byleth this time. The older woman’s expression was peaceful as she slept and her messy teal hair falls in front of her eyes. Edelgard shifts closer and lightly presses her head to her love’s chest. A strong heartbeat fills her ears and an arm wraps around her and she drifts back to sleep as a smile tugs on her lips. Once again, she is awoken with a quick kiss before watching a gray coat slip through the door. But Edelgard had a plan, one that she wasn’t exactly proud of, but if she is lucky, she’ll find some answers in the garden.

It doesn’t take long to find the mop of lavender hair of her target amongst the lush, green foliage attending to some of the exotic carnivorous plants she had taken, with permission, during their trip to Brigid. The two make eye contact, and at first, Bernadetta attempts to hide among the brush. Edelgard approaches a trembling bush and pushes a branch out of the way.

“Bernadetta, if I may have a moment of your time.” She speaks softly as to not upset the girl.

Bernadetta stands, patting the dirt off her knees. “S-sure Lady Edelgard, what seems to be the matter?”

“Can’t friends enjoy a nice chat?” She gestures for Bernadetta to hand her the watering can. “Besides, you just returned from Varley not too long ago.” She weighs the can in her hands before pouring its contents onto the soil. “How is your mother doing?”

“S-she’s great actually! She sends her regards!” The small girl’s demeanor completely shifts. “After his arrest, thank you for that by the way, we decided to split the responsibilities of the house between the two of us.”

Edelgard smiles, she had always had a sweet spot for Bernadetta, maybe it was the countless times she had to drag her to class or perhaps when she would find her in the dining hall late at night during a post-nightmare walk.

“I’m glad to hear that everything has been settled.” It made her hate what she was about to do next. “So Bernadetta.” The tone of her voice shifts into what Byleth refers to as her ‘work voice’. “Care to explain why the rest of the Strike Force has been acting so strange?” 

“W-what do you mean?” Bernadetta stammers. “Everyone seems normal to me.”

Edelgard raises an eyebrow. “Normal, eh?” She admires one of the larger of the fly-traps. “Tell me, is it normal for the emperor’s closest friends and confidants to keep secrets from her?” A quick poke causes the plant to snap shut. 

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She watches as Edelgard thoughtfully scans the expanse of the garden. When the emperor’s gaze sets on a plot of dark red flowers, she panics. “W-wait!” Edelgard’s attention snaps back to her. 

Edelgard crosses her arms. “I’m waiting.” As much as she loathed playing the emperor card on her timid friend, the Black Eagles’ behavior called for slightly more extreme measures.

“Um well…” The young archer stares down at her feet before looking in the space behind Edelgard and pointing. “Uh oh! Looks like Petra’s wyvern got loose!”

Edelgard glances over her shoulder to see that indeed was the case, the draconic creature was doing loops in the sky. When she turns back, she notices Bernadetta had vanished with only a meek “I’m so sorry Lady Edelgard! Don’t hate Bernie because of this!” She facepalms realizing she just fell for the oldest trick in the book.

As much as she wanted to find another Eagle and have them explain what in the name of the empire was going on, her investigation had taken longer than she had hoped and she had yet more paperwork to do. By the time she was finished, it was well into the night, so she retired to bed. She was surprised to see that Byleth was not there when she returned to her chambers, which was odd since the woman usually waited up for her, or had fallen asleep in doing so.

-22nd of Garland Moon, 1186-

Edelgard’s eyes snap open and immediately to her left. Empty again. Byleth had to leave before the sun rose on today of all days. She lifts up her left hand, the silver band glinting in the early morning sunlight. She had always had mixed emotions when it came to her birthday. Most of them were spent surrounded by either stuffy nobles, battlefield enemies or worse. There was only one that stuck out in her mind. Her eighteenth, during her time at the Officer's Academy. Byleth had given her a bouquet of beautiful red carnations. They had only known each other a few months at that point, but it was then that made the emperor realize her burgeoning feelings for the young professor. However, not one to wallow in the past, she gets out of bed and begins her day. 

While walking to her office, Edelgard noticed that there were fewer to no staff, who were normally bustling throughout the halls at this hour, around. Upon her entry, something else was puzzling. The Hubert-sized, a term coined by her dear fiancee, pile of papers that usually greeted her in the morning was missing.

“Odd.” She mused, searching around the room. “What is going on?” None of this sat well with her, so she decided to seek out some answers.

After looking in the library, training grounds, throne room, kitchen and every other room in the palace, Edelgard made her way to the garden. 

As she approached, she noticed Dorothea and Petra, whose eyes lit up on sight. 

“Oh Edie! Happy Birthday!”  
"Yes, Happiest of Birthdays Edelgard!”

The two women run up to the emperor and draw her into a hug, before each handing her a flower. Edelgard, too shocked to ask what’s happening, continues down the hall.

Next, she comes across Hubert and Ferdinand, who look as though they haven’t slept in days. Hubert seems to be drinking coffee from what looks like a pitcher or a vase. 

“Happy Birthday, your Majesty.”  
“Yes, Happy Birthday, my dearest rival!”

The two men bow and hand her two more flowers. It takes a moment for Edelgard to realize that their red color looks familiar.

As she nears the garden, Caspar runs up to her and pulls her into a hug that lifts her off her feet, followed by Linhardt and what looks to be Bernadetta hiding behind him.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDELGARD!”  
*Yawn* “Happy Birthday, Edelgard.”  
“HappyBirthdayLadyEdelgardsorryforyesterday.”

She places an apologetic hand on the archer’s shoulder before she is given three more flowers. Wait, are these carnations? They are the same flowers Bernadetta had distracted her from yesterday. This can only be the work of one person. She runs for the doors and throws them open.

Edelgard rubs her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. The garden was decorated with garlands and streamers. In the center, a large table was set with trays stacked with desserts and her favorite food. A teal colored bear in a gray coat is nestled in one of the chairs, and an ornate teapot sits on a platter behind it. The smell of Bergamot and freshly cut flowers overwhelms her senses. Before she could say anything, a tap on her shoulder pulls her back to reality. She turns and is met with cornflower eyes and a lopsided smile.

“Happy Birthday El.” Byleth hands her a full bouquet of deep red carnations before taking her hand and kissing her ring. "Are you surprised?" Edelgard stares at her fiancee dumbstruck. “El? Do you not like it?” 

She was speechless. Like it? It was perfect. She loved it. Tears began to sting her eyes. She grabs Byleth’s coat and pulls her into a dizzying kiss. When they part, she rests her forehead on Byleth’s chest. The taller woman laughs. “Well, there goes one of your presents.” 

“One of?” The emperor wraps her arms around her love’s neck.

Byleth scratches her head. “Well yea, I have to make up for all the birthdays I missed when I was asleep.”

“You.” Her voice cracks. “You didn’t have to do all this for me.”

“But I wanted to, you deserve it and,” Byleth kisses Edelgard this time. “I love you, my heart.”

Tears stream down Edelgard’s face. “And I love you too, my light.”

**Author's Note:**

> It felt better to end this where I did, but I also have a sequence where all the eagles talk about their roles in assisting Byleth with the party planning, I might upload it later when I finish it.
> 
> Again, I am new to the AO3 community as a writer (but an active reader), so leave a comment or kudos if you feel this deserves them! Veteran writers, if you have any tips, I am all ears! Especially with formatting, ya girl solely reads on mobile out of convenience.
> 
> I have a couple stories brewing in the ol' noggin, who knows if I'll ever start them (Own worst critic over here). But since I have a case of edeleth brainworm now so we will see!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate you!


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